While the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo is months away, scheduled for Dec. 7‒10 in Savannah, NAAA conducted a “pulse check” survey in late May and early June to gauge how members are feeling about traveling to and attending the Ag Aviation Expo, six months out from the start of the show. The results were quite positive in terms of very high percentages still expected to attend as indicated further below.

Currently, NAAA is implementing attendee protections at the conference per the recommendation of health and safety officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and what we are seeing locally in Georgia and Savannah. The COVID-19 outbreak and state decisions to open are changing weekly; therefore, many procedures may change between now and December. We realize some members may not agree with protections that we put in place, but in order to hold the Ag Aviation Expo in person, we will be required by law to have certain health protections at our convention due to this being a large gathering of people and what the state and/or federal government regulations are at that time.

NAAA is working diligently to ensure our Ag Aviation Expo occurs in person. Our convention offers connection and networking, CEUs and seeing friends; we want to see you too! Please also know that we have a responsibility to you, the facilities, and the city of Savannah to show what policies we have in place to make sure risks are mitigated as much as possible from the spread of COVID-19. We also, personally and professionally, want to ensure that we are doing what we can for staff, attendees, exhibitors and citizens of Savannah to have a healthy annual convention.

Below is a breakdown of the positive attitude of potential attendees about the Savannah convention:

ATTENDEES
Before the outbreak of COVID-19 in mid-March, 79% of those surveyed said they were planning to attend the Ag Aviation Expo. Since the outbreak, 51% still plan to attend the convention and 31% are considering their attendance. Assuming that travel restrictions are lifted and hygiene measures are established at the Ag Aviation Expo, 88% of respondents stated that they feel safe enough to travel to and participate in the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo.

EXHIBITORS
Eighty-eight percent (88%) of exhibitors state that they still plan on purchasing booth space for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo.

VIRTUAL AG AVIATION EXPO
If NAAA cannot hold an in-person convention due to travel restrictions and makes the decision to host a virtual convention, 55% of attendees and 51% of exhibitors stated that they would participate in a virtual conference.

Thank you to the members who participated in the survey.

Save the Date for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo

• Dates: Dec. 7–10, 2020
• Location: Savannah Convention Center. Some events will also take place at the Westin, which is located directly next to the convention center.
• Schedule of Events: Current schedule here. Subject to change.
• Hotel: Hotel Details Below
• Attendee Registration: Opens July 1
• Exhibitor Booth Sales: Large booth sales and Diamond sponsorship booth sales are currently open; this includes aircraft, islands and 10’x30'. 10'x10' and 10'x20' booth sales open on Thursday, July 9. Please email Lindsay if you’d like to be contacted regarding large booth space.
• Sponsorship Opportunities: Sponsorships are now available. View the opportunities online. Please email Lindsay if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or would like to be contacted about 2020 opportunities! We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.
• Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG engine to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. While we’re still several months away from the Ag Aviation Expo, we are already accepting donations for the Live and Silent Auction. The earlier you inform us of your auction donation, the more advertising you’ll receive on the NAAA website and in NAAA publications. Support the aerial application industry by donating an item today. Email Lindsay with your donation details.

Book Your Hotel Room

The 2020 NAAA hotel room block is coordinated through Visit Savannah, which is the Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Housing office. Please do not call the hotels directly; use the link and/or phone number below to book your room. Rooms are available at the Westin Savannah Harbor (directly next to the convention center), Hyatt Regency Savannah and Savannah Marriott Riverfront hotels (across the river from the convention center and Westin – transportation provided). All room blocks close Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. ET.

• Westin Savannah Harbor: $150/night plus taxes
• Westin Cancellation: For each reservation cancelled after Oct. 30, 2020, a nonrefundable one night room + tax will be charged to the credit card on file. Guests who check out early (prior to the reserved check out date) will be assessed one full night’s room charge plus taxes.
• Hyatt Regency Savannah: $148/night plus taxes
• Savannah Marriott Riverfront: $142/night plus taxes

All room rates above are single/double occupancy and do not include taxes.